Indus Valley Times

Uttar Pradesh, Mar 20 :  A barber in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun allegedly hacked two children to death living in the neighbourhood and critically injured another, the police said on Tuesday.

The barber was later killed in an encounter by the police.

The incident took place in the Baba Colony under the Mandi Samiti police station. The accused barged into his neighbour’s house and slit the throats of the two brothers, aged 11 and 6, while injuring the third boy.

The accused, identified as Sajid, 22, fled the scene after killing the two children. A manhunt was initiated by the UP Police and Sajid was killed in an encounter. Sajid’s brother Javed was also named an accused in the case, and a search for him is underway.

Budaun SSP Alok Priyadarshi said, “The accused Sajid…entered the house yesterday at around 7:30 pm and went to the terrace where the children were playing. He attacked the two children and murdered them. He then came down where the crowd tried to hold him back but he escaped. According to the family, the accused had demanded Rs 5,000 from the father of the deceased children.”

The children’s father Vinod Kumar denied any personal enmity with the accused. “Sajid had asked for a loan of Rs 5,000 for his wife’s delivery, and we agreed. He came to our home for the money, and while my younger son was fetching him a glass of water, he took aside my eldest son and killed him. After that, he attacked the younger one.”

According to locals, the accused often had disputes with his neighbour Vinod Kumar’s family.

Vinod Kumar’s wife, who runs a salon, was alone at home with her three children when Sajid entered the house.

According to their neighbours, the accused came to Vinod’s house and started attacking his sons Ayush, Piyush, and Honey.

The children’s mother was downstairs in the salon. Upon hearing screams, people rushed upstairs, but the accused had fled.

The police rushed to the scene, but the agitated locals did not allow them to take the bodies. Relatives sent back the ambulance that came to take the bodies.

Later, heavy police security was deployed in the area and the bodies of the children were sent for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Bareilly Inspector General Rakesh Kumar said the accused tried to escape and fired at the police, but was killed in retaliatory fire.

“Today evening an unfortunate incident took place. The police reached the spot and the accused tried to escape. The accused fired at the police and was killed in retaliatory fire. The accused died on the spot. The accused is aged between 25-30,” Rakesh Kumar said.

The reason for the murder is not known yet. Further investigation is underway.

Police have appealed to the locals to maintain peace.

-The India Today